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Ducks beat Flames, 3-2, in eighth round of shootout

Niklas Hagman wasn’t exactly sure where he fit in the long-and-winding shootout between the Ducks and Flames on Monday night at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

“I can’t even … I was the sixth, seventh, eighth shooter? I don’t even know,” he said.

Eight was enough as Hagman scored the winner in the shootout against his former teammates, giving the Ducks a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames.

The Ducks might be floundering, losing to the minnow Columbus Blue Jackets the other day and having looked directionless in November and December.

But at least the Ducks had one thing going for them at home.

They can still beat the Flames.

On Monday, that vestige of pride survived the tense shootout. Calgary had not won in Anaheim since Jan. 19, 2004, a 14-game losing streak, making the Honda Center a haunted house for them. And Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff stays at 299 career victories, thwarted by a fellow Finn and teammate who claimed off waivers by the Ducks.

There was still some suspense even after Hagman’s shootout goal. The Flames could have pushed it into a ninth round but Duck goalie Jonas Hiller stopped Mikael Backland’s effort.

“We really needed those two points. We really wanted it,” said Hiller, who faced 26 shots and stopped six of the eight attempts in the shootout.

The Ducks grabbed the two points after having blown a 2-0 lead. Scoring for them in regulation, both goals coming in the first period, were Bobby Ryan, at 15:52, and Matt Beleskey at 17:51.

Calgary’s goals came from Alex Tanguay and captain Jarome Iginla. Iginla’s third-period goal, coming on the power play, was his 20th of the season, and it marks the 14th season he has hit, or bettered, the 20-goal plateau. The Flames went on the power play when Ducks’ defenseman Luca Sbisa received a five-minute major and automatic game misconduct for an illegal hit to the head of the Flames’ Tim Jackman.

The run against the Flames is the Ducks’ longest win streak against one opponent at home in franchise history.